On Saturday four journalists were arrested by the Mumbai Commissioner's special squad after a ration shop owner from Goregaon complained about facing extortion threats from them. Jitendra Salunkhe, who is the editor of three newspapers (Right Media, Mumbai Amardeep and Yasho Mani), chief reporter SD Sayeed, and reporters PM Sharma and Prashant Tahe, all of whom work for the three newspapers that are distributed in shops and beer bars from Andheri to Dahisar, were nabbed after the special squad set a trap.

According to Inspector Rakesh Sharma, a ration shop owner complained that a journalist working for a local newspaper tried to extort Rs one lakh from him. They had extorted money from several beer bar owners and shopkeepers, he added.

"They would take a hefty amount from their target and then extort Rs 10,000 every week saying they had certain videos that they would otherwise make public in their paper," said Sharma. Three other accused are absconding.